Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a convicted and wanted major distributor of illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Ibrahim Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel.
Spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the development, yesterday, said the convict was arrested during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the FCT, seven years after his escape from prison custody following his conviction for drug dealing.
Momoh, he said, was first arrested on November 27, 2014 with Cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kg, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on July 22, 2015, but while serving his jail term at Kuje, he escaped from prison custody on May 16, 2016.
“Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on November 20, 2022 stormed the warehouse of the fleeing convict, Ibrahim Momoh, and recovered 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,278kg.
“The store was located within his poultry farm in the Dei-Dei area of the FCT. Though Momoh was not around at the time, his warehouse manager, 55-year-old Ghanaian, Richard Forson Gordon was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail.
“The Agency thereafter declared Momoh was wanted. The manhunt for the drug lord paid off on November 5, when operatives again raided his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja where he was arrested with 56.9kg of Cannabis sativa and 42.7 grammes of Diazepam,” Babafemi added.
In another raid in the FCT on Monday, November 13, a suspect Yusufa Ibrahim, 27, was arrested with 75.3kg of cannabis.
Meanwhile, a massive operation in the forest of Efon Alaye in Efon Local Council of Ekiti State on Saturday, November 28, has led to the destruction of 52,500 kilogrammes of Cannabis sativa covering over 21 hectares of farmland while a total of 92 bags of same substance weighing 1,380 kilogrammes were recovered, and another 250 bags weighing 3,000kg stored in different huts on the farm were burnt.
Also, 15 suspects were arrested on the farm during the operation. They include: Okikiri Julius, 27; Ozoemene Friday Efajemu, 31; Tosin Ibrahim, 18; Israel Samuel, 25; Godwin David, 39; Friday Isaac, 19; Ayomide Igbekele, 18; Joshua Daniel, 27; Emmanuel Nwachukwu, 19; Emeka Onyeama, 31; Ani Augustine, 27; Obasi Ogbu, 32; Orsusue Peter, 23; Daniel Emmanuel, 18; and Yinusa James, 22.
In Ondo State, five persons, including another wanted drug kingpin, Christopher Onyebuchi, 40, were arrested at New Bridge Compound, Idoani on Wednesday, November 15, and a total of 1,945 kilogrammes of cannabis recovered from them.
Others were Olorunda Ojo, 52; Femi Tomoye, 22; Abdurahman Salahu, 29; and Momoh Jimoh, 31. Onyebuchi, who had earlier been arrested by NDLEA on March 25, 2022 with 89kg of the same substance, but jumped bail after he was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Akure.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Ondo State on Sunday, November 12, raided Upemen village in Owo where they recovered 1,834kg of the same substance with 273kg, also seized the previous day, Saturday, November 11, at Ipesi Akoko.
While NDLEA officers in Sokoto recovered 290kg of cannabis from a female suspect, Fatima Salmanu, 20, at Gangaren Tashar, Illela Sokoto in Sokoto North LGA on Thursday, November 16, their colleagues in Edo State evacuated 808kg of the same psychoactive substance stored in a forest at Igueben on Monday, November 13.
Also, about 231kg of cannabis were recovered and five suspects arrested in a joint raid between NDLEA operatives and soldiers in Kwande Local Council of Benue State on Monday, November 13.
Those arrested include: Denen Terhemba, 25; Liambee Iorhuna, 36; Iorhuna Sughnen, 20; Aboh Sonter, 23; and Msendoo Tyokaa, 36.
While operatives in Ogun State on Tuesday, November 14, arrested a suspect, Tony Jonah at Abule Iroko, with Cannabis sativa weighing 67kg, those in Lagos arrested Chike Agu at Ago Palace way, Isolo with 364.3kg of Loud, a variant of cannabis.
In Imo State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Owerri-Onitsha expressway on Monday, November 23, intercepted a truck marked XS 669KRD driven by one Orji Ifeanyi, 33.
A search of the truck led to the seizure of 82,320 pills of opioids, including Tramadol 225mg, and Diazepam as well as 32.5 litres of codeine cough syrup and 100 pieces of Molly weighing 49.62 grammes.
While commending the officers and men of the FCT, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Lagos, Edo, Benue, Ogun and Imo Commands for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to intensify the offensive action tempo against drug cartels as the yuletide season approaches while maintaining a balance with their drug demand reduction efforts.